Emergency Water Shut Off Location and More
If you’re in any way familiar with plumbing emergencies, you’ve probably heard about emergency water shut off. The emergency water shut off valve, in brief, is the thing that can switch your home’s water supply off during an emergency situation. Where is the emergency water shut off valve, anyway? The emergency shut off valve usually is in the garage, crawlspace or basement of a residential property. If it’s not in a home, it may be outside as well. An emergency water shut off valve may be right next to the foundation of a house outdoors. Note, too, that there are even some homes that just aren’t equipped with water emergency shutoff valves.
How to Find the Water Shut Off Valve
It’s vital to act fast during any kind of urgent plumbing situation. Water main breaks don’t exactly wait around for anyone, after all. If you encounter a plumbing problem such as an emergency water leak, you should turn off the emergency shut off valve water without any hesitation or delay. That’s because switching it off will help you steer clear of potentially expensive and severe damage.
You may have two options for switching off your home’s water supply. Where is the emergency water shut off valve for your home? This valve is in many cases situated precisely where your water line accesses your living space. Look at an exterior wall close to the front of your residential property. You may be able to switch the valve off manually. Simply move the handle of the valve right. Doing this should shut off any water access within your home.
You may have another emergency water shut off valve on your property. This one may be close to the water meter. Water meters are often situated within meter boxes that are made out of either plastic or concrete. They’re in most situations right next to streets, too. The goal behind this location is to encourage hassle-free assessments. You may see a gate valve and pressure regulator right by the meter. Gate valves sometimes are hard to find in the midst of pressing water situations. Their boxes are sometimes covered in dense plants. It can help to go above and beyond to maintain your gate valve box well. Make sure that it’s devoid of plants, dirt buildup and anything else equally unpleasant.
If you don’t see your emergency water shut off valve on one side of your house, look for a small plate inside of the ground. This plate may be in front of the property that looks toward the street.
As indicated previously, it isn’t uncommon to spot these valves inside of basements. Take a look at your basement’s front foundation wall. The water might travel within the wall or the concrete flooring. The valve might be three to five feet away from the spot where the water gets inside. Main water gets inside through numerous spots. The mechanical room is an example. Water may get indoors through mechanical room floors close to furnaces or water heaters.
For those with crawlspaces, emergency water shut off valves are usually located below sinks in the kitchen. If your crawlspace is right under your property, you should think about putting a secondary valve in your home below a sink or near the water heater.
If you have a property that was constructed on top of a slab, the valve might be right below the sink in the kitchen or near the water heater. If the valve isn’t in either of those spots, it may make sense to look in the laundry room or the garage.
Switching Off Your Emergency Water Shut Off Valve: What You Should Do
Once you’ve pinpointed the specific location of the shut off valve, it’s critical to determine the exact type you have. Ball valves and gate valves are both typical sights in the emergency water shut off sphere.
If you have a gate valve, you should turn it perpendicular in relation to your pipe. If you have a ball valve, on the other hand, you should turn it in the direction of the clock.
If your valve is inside your home, it’ll probably be a wheel valve that you turn in the direction of the clock. This does away with the flow of water.
After you switch off your water, you should let go of pipe pressure. You can do this by switching on both the cold and the hot faucets throughout your living space.
Water valves that have been around for a long while tend to have corrosion and damage. That’s the reason it’s critical to exclusively utilize your hand to switch your valves off or on. If you’re unable to do this manually, then you should request assistance from an experienced plumber who understands safety matters extremely well.
Why Emergency Water Shut Off Valves Are Crucial
These valves have the ability to take charge of the flow of water to certain places. If you have a rough time pinpointing a leak, switching the water off promptly may prevent water from accessing your entire home and causing a lot of destruction.
Shutoff valves can protect you from awful water situations any time you’re on vacation and unable to monitor your property. Switching them off can protect you from massive water accidents, rusting and more.
These valves can even stop your monthly water bills from getting out of hand. It’s no secret that tiny leaks can slowly but surely squander massive amounts of water. If you take advantage of shutoff valve use, you can minimize frustrating water squandering before your plumber gets to you. Valves can help you avoid unpleasant and unpredictable water bill shocks.
Contact Emergency Plumbing Squad to Make an Appointment for Emergency Plumbing Assistance
Emergency Plumbing Squad is available nonstop to assist you with plumbing emergencies of all kinds. Contact our courteous and efficient 24-hour team to find out more about emergency water shut-off valves and plumbing services in general. We can provide you with a dependable and speedy estimate, too.